Mak (Mom in English) used to say to me (especially when I drove her up the wall... )
"One day... you'll know and will go through what I am going through, when you have your own family and kids..."It was tough for my mom, during those years, to bring up 6 kids with my dad's meagre salary. But never a day, would go by without food on the table. It may be simple food, with rice as our everyday staple, and fish was often on the menu (cheaper source of protein), enough to fill up our tummy.
Time sure flies
It seems like it was only yesterday that I was tagging along, holding on tight onto my mom's hand as we crossed the busy road, to go to "Orchid" Hair Salon, to have her jet black hair permed, the smell of chemical nearly choked me to death.
Looking at her now, only wispy thin of white hair left on her head.
Back then ...she was strong and able to chase me up the stairs when I did something wrong.... and now she needs a strong arm as support when she walked the distance....
My mom has seen many sunrises and sunsets in her life ...
She misses my dad (dad passed away 3 years ago and I miss him too), and in her own words " I am just waiting for my turn..."
Mak,
I thank you for all the things you taught me.
I apologise for the heartaches I caused you in the past.
I will forever hold you in my heart and love you for always....
"Yes mak... now I know how it feels like to be in your shoe, to be a MOM"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watermelon, Strawberries and Rose Cream
Just a quick note on this delicious dessert....
I heard this 'much raved about' dessert from my masseuse/friend.
And of course my first attempt was a total disaster... the dacquoise was too sweet with slight chewy texture.
Besides the disappointment, on the whole... it was really really good.... its the best dessert I have had so far.
Not wanting to face another dacquoise failure... I decided to simplify and used crushed saviordi finger biscuits.
Less stress and less sweet...makes a perfect dessert for our mom on Mothers' Day this Sunday.
To my Mak, sisters, sisters-in law, all Mothers, mothers to-be...
Have a wonderful 'Mothers Day'
Watermelon, Strawberries and Rose-Scented Cream (serve 4)
Ingredients...
4 to 6 thin slices of seedless watermelon
2 tablespoon of rosewater
2 tablespoon almond meal (more if desired)
4-6 strawberries - washed, hulled and cut into quarters
4-6 seedless red grapes - halved
1 tablespoon pistachio - rough;y chopped
optional - dried rose buds
10-12 saviordi fingers - coarsely crushed (may require more if glasses used are bigger than pictured above)
Rose-scented cream
300 ml thickened cream
30 g caster sugar
2 tablespoon rosewater
Preparation stage...
Preparation stage...
- Whisk cream with sugar until soft peak.
- Add rose water gradually and whisk until stiff peak form.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a round cookie cutter that could fit snugly into a glass, and cut 8 thin watermelon discs.
- Sprinkle rosewater and leave aside for 30 minutes.
- Pat dry.
Ready in a jiffy...
- Prepare 4 glasses.
- Divide half of the crushed saviordi biscuits into 4 glasses.
- Top with rose-scented cream.
- Sprinkle almond meal.
- Top with 1 watermelon disc.
- Divide 1/3 of rose-scented cream into 4 glasses.
- Add crushed biscuits, then watermelon, and finish off with a layer of rose-scented cream.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Sprinkle crushed pistachios, decorate with strawberries, grapes before serving.
